27 Flavorful Vegetarian Dinners To Make On Weeknights

updated Nov 30, 2023
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Caramelized eggplant and onion orzo in a deep bowl, with printed napkins on the side

When we hear vegetarian dinners, you know what comes to mind? Luscious veggies, tender beans, rich broths, flavorful sauces, and great textures. Basically, there’s never a dull moment when a really good vegetarian dish is on the menu, so we put together some of our favorites to help make a veggie-powered dinner a reality.

There’s a vibrant skillet paella, sweet potato tacos, spicy stir-fried cauliflower, and slow cooker vegetable stew. Basically they’re all wholesome and colorful dishes heavy on vegetables that will leave you full and satisfied.

Vegetarian Dinners for Weeknights

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Caramelized Eggplant & Onion Orzo
An easy recipe for one-pan orzo and summer vegetables that's both vegetarian and vegan.
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2 / 27
Easy Green Olive Pasta
A quick and simple recipe for pasta tossed in a lemon-garlic butter and enhanced with chopped green olives.
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3 / 27
Tomato and Feta Galette
Pair sweet tomatoes with thyme and feta, then wrap it up with a buttery crust for a free-form pie that's easy enough to make on busy weeknights.
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4 / 27
Quick and Easy Roasted Vegetable Salad
A warm, entree-friendly salad that's filled with roasted sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and shallots and tossed in a tangy balsamic mustard vinaigrette.
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5 / 27
Mushroom and Garlic Spaghetti Dinner
A fast and easy recipe for spaghetti tossed in a sautéed mushroom, garlic, and butter sauce.
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6 / 27
Vegetarian Kale Taco Salad

This is comfort food you can feel good about digging into. Shredded kale is tossed with hearty black beans and crisp veggies, and softened by a creamy yogurt and cilantro dressing before it’s finished off with crunchy tortillas and lots of shredded cheddar.

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7 / 27
Vegetable Paella with Chickpeas

This Spanish rice dish is traditionally made with seafood, chicken, or sausage, but this version swaps the meat and fish for fresh produce and legumes. It’s a veggie-filled dinner — perfect for any night of the week.

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8 / 27
Soba Noodle Soup with Mushrooms & Chard

When you’re in the mood for lighter fare and a meal to battle the chill in the air, this noodle soup will do the trick. Flavored with mushrooms and ginger, this dinner comes together in a snap.

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9 / 27
Miso-Maple Sweet Potato Tacos with Coconut-Cilantro Sauce

These vibrant sweet-and-savory tacos prove that sweet potatoes can (and should) be far more than just a side dish.

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10 / 27
Crispy White Beans with Greens and Poached Egg
It answers the comforting call of breakfast for dinner, and though it's so simple, a couple poached eggs know how to kick it up a notch.
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11 / 27
Lentil Dal with Hearty Greens

This simple, rustic weeknight meal gets an extra nutritional boost from mixing in whatever dark, leafy greens you have handy.

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Farro Salad with Roasted Eggplant, Caramelized Onion, and Pine Nuts

This simple-yet-aromatic salad combines plump kernels of farro with silky roasted eggplant and sweet caramelized onions for a dish that shines on its own.

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13 / 27
Michael Natkin's Spicy Stir-Fried Zucchini

This zucchini dish is inspired by banchan, those cute little side dishes served at Korean restaurants. With just five ingredients, it comes together quickly and brings with it a spicy kick. Serve it over your favorite grains to make it a meal.

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14 / 27
Braised Coconut Spinach & Chickpeas with Lemon

Are you in the mood for some comfort food? Of course you are! This meal mixes fresh baby spinach and chickpeas — slow-cooked with ginger, garlic, and onion in a creamy coconut milk sauce — finished off with a healthy dash of lemon, and served over a sweet potato. It’s comforting and features your daily dose of vegetables, all in one dish.

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15 / 27
Red Lentil Soup
This quick and easy recipe for lentil soup puts a hearty vegetarian dinner on the table in just about 30 minutes.
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16 / 27
Baked Red Lentil Falafel Salad

Skip the pita pocket and serve crispy falafel balls on a vibrant seasonal salad of kale, carrot, and thinly sliced onion. Top it all with a tangy tahini dressing.

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17 / 27
Vegetarian Phở (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)

There are few better comfort foods than Vietnamese phở. Between the broth, noodles, and assorted garnishes — like onions, herbs, chiles, and lime — this flavor-packed soup is a wonderful interplay of textures and flavors.

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18 / 27
Wild Rice and Mixed Greens Salad

This salad does indeed have a lot going on, but somehow all the ingredients really work well together and balance each other out. The nutty-flavored wild rice and hearty chickpeas make this a dinner-worthy salad.

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19 / 27
Stovetop Pesto Macaroni and Cheese
Tender shells and sharp cheddar keep it classically comforting, while a thick swirl of bright, vibrant pesto keeps it light with a sweet, herby punch.
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20 / 27
Soba, Sesame, and Carrot Salad

Everyone needs at least one quick-and-easy soba salad in their dinner lineup. Toss soba noodles with sesame oil, shaved carrots, scallions, and a little soy sauce for this tasty chilled noodle salad.

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21 / 27
Steamed and Raw Radish Salad with Kimchi and Sesame

This is an especially vibrant salad, both in color and flavor, and one that’s strong enough to stand alone as a main course. Cooked radishes, raw radishes, and crunchy lettuce are all tossed together in a fiery kimchi dressing.

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22 / 27
Kale and Black Bean Tacos with Chimichurri

Bright and garlicky chimichurri gives these avocado and black bean tacos a hit of heat and tang. It’s an easy way to wake up a vegan meal with a punch of herbaceous flavor.

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23 / 27
Anna Jones' Raw Thai Citrus Crunch Salad

This salad gets its inspiration from pad Thai, but unlike pad Thai, there aren’t any noodles. Instead, this crisp-and-crunchy salad is loaded with ribbons of zucchini and carrot, mild cabbage, earthy bell peppers, and some sweet-sour zing from grapefruit and lime.

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24 / 27
Easy Cabbage & White Bean Soup

This comforting, quick-to-make soup gives cabbage the respect it deserves by putting it front and center among the beans, fennel, garlic, and Parmesan-scented broth.

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25 / 27
Creamy Coconut Cauliflower Soup
Answer the call of creamy comfort food with this nourishing, Whole30- and Paleo-friendly soup.
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26 / 27
Crispy Sheet Pan Gnocchi and Veggies
A one-pan dinner of roasted gnocchi and vegetables that doesn't even require you to boil the dumplings.
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27 / 27
Mushroom Parmesan
Stuffed mushrooms meet vegetable Parm in this comforting dinner.
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